


YAY Love!

by MsMKT86



Category: Suite Life on Deck
Genre: F/M, High School, Love Confessions, My First Work in This Fandom, Romance, Romantic Comedy, Teen Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-01-27
Updated: 2014-03-10
Packaged: 2018-01-10 05:57:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 3,800
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1155949
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MsMKT86/pseuds/MsMKT86
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Zack Martin and London Tipton discover their love for one another during a school assignment.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Assignment

It started when Ms. Tutweiller paired them together for a marriage project.

"So is everyone paired up and have a job?" Ms. Tutweiller asked the class. The class gave a collective 'yeah'.

"Ms. Tutweiller?" London Tipton called out raising her hand.

"Yes London." the red hair teacher said.

"I thought we were studying presidents. I even mermemorized stuff." London said.

"Ok London, pop quiz. You get this question right you get an A. Who said, 'I can not tell a lie'?"

"Oh that's easy! George Jefferson!" London answered happily.

"That's correct." Ms. Tutweiller said with a halfhearted smile.

"Yay me!" London cheered. Turning in her chair to face the blonde boy behind her, she asked, "I'm glad you picked me Cody's brother, because Cody's a snore."

"I'm Zack, London. And we're friends right? This'll be fun. There won't be any pressure." Zack said.

"Oh no, these are mine. I don't use press-ons." London said showing her pretend husband her fingers.

"Right." Zack said as the bell rang. He ran out of class to ensure that he and Woody would be first in line for lunch.

"So Woodster, how's married life treating you?" Zack asked his corpulent pal as the piled their plate high with hoagies and potato chips.

"Well, Addison is my special lady. And as long as I keep giving her candy jewelry, I can eat as many hot dogs as I want." Woody answered taking a large bite out of one of his sandwiches.

"London is the perfect wife. She's rich and pretty and all I have to do keep telling her she's smart and I make all the money I could ever wish for!" Zack said, his mouth full.

"You two are deplorable. How can you treat your wives that way? You should love them, and give them the utmost respect." Cody said setting his neatly organized lunch tray down on the table.

"Shut up Cody. It's not our fault that if you don't get an A this assignment, you and the hayseed are going to call it quits." Zack said to his twin brother.

" _Bailey_  and I are happily married, I mean for the project of course. Nothing that takes place during the course of said project will change how we feel about each other. We have a strong emotional bond." Cody said in a matter of fact tone.

"What?" Woody said, his confused eyes on Cody.

"He means Cody + Bailey = forever." Zack explained.

"Ohh. Ok." Woody said nodding his head with a big smile.

"Well, I've gotta get ready for work. Catch you dudes later." Zack said rising from the table. Dumping his tray and walking back to his room, he overhears Bailey and London talking.

"Cody is the perfect husband!" Bailey gushed.

"Eww. I've clearly got the cuter twin." London said.

"They're twins. They're both cute." Bailey said.

"Keep believing that farm girl." London retorted.

"London they look exactly the same."

"No. I don't think so. Cody's brother has a certain...je na se qua."

"Really? You didn't know that George Washington said I can not tell a lie but you know how to properly use je na se qua?" Bailey asked amazed. "And his name is Zack, by the way."

"Zack. Right. I'll have to remember that." London said nodding her head quickly.

 


	2. Meet the Parent

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Hey guys. I'm really really sorry. I know that some of you have liked this story and I'm sorry that it took so long for an update. I've had this chapter written for the most part for a long time. 
> 
> Again, I'm really sorry for the delay. Please forgive me.
> 
> Thanks for reading and as alway COMMENTS = LOVE!

"Zack may I speak with you?" Cody said sitting on a stool at the juice bar.

"If you must, but make it quick. The professional Hula dancers practice is over in ten minutes." Zack said drying his hands and leaning on the counter.

"Well how is your marriage going?" Cody asked.

"Great. London and I are having a lot of fun. Why?"

"Bailey and I have hit a couple of bumps along the way, but that's normal in strong relationships where both people care the other's well being." Cody explained.

"Point?" Zack said exasperated.

"I need you to get London to find out if my Bailey Whaley is cheating on me." Cody rushed out.

"No." Zack said clapping his brother on the shoulder.

"What? Why not?"

"Because man, Bailey is not cheating on you. She's way to into you for that. Stop acting like such a girl and ask her yourself." Zack said. "Now get out of here. The Hula dancers are coming." he said plastering a big smile on his face. "Ladies." Cody rolled his eyes at his brother and left the juice bar.

* * *

"Hello husband." London said as she walked toward the juice bar.

"Hello wife." Zack said in response.

"So, Daddy heard that you married me without his permission first so he wants to meet you and have dinner." London said.

"What?" Zack asked shocked. "We're not really married London."

"Try telling that to Daddy." London said.

"London, I'm not having dinner with your father." Zack protested.

"I'll give you $500." London said reaching into her bag and pulling out a wad of money.

"I'll see you at seven." Zack said grabbing the money.

"Yay!" London said clapped as she left the juice bar. Zack continued to stare at his money. Thinking of all the things that he could buy with it, until his nerves took hold.

"Hello Zack." Mr. Moseby said walking past the juice bar.

"Mr. Moseby, wait." Zack said untying his apron and catching up to his long time friend.

"Yes Zack." Mr. Moseby said.

"London wants me to meet her dad." Zack said.

"Ohh. Good luck."

"Mr. Moseby, he thinks we're married."

"What?"

"It's for an assignment but he thinks it's real." Zack explained.

"Well Zack, just go with the flow. There is no harm in meeting the man." Mr. Moseby said. "Maybe London just needs to prove to her father that she's taking a school assignment seriously."

"This is London we're talking about." Zack said. "The same girl that gets distracted by anything shiny."

"Zack, give it a chance." Mr. Moseby said patting the boy on the should and returning to work.

Zack didn't want to give it a chance. He didn't want the pressure of meeting Mr. Tipton. He had to tell London to call off the dinner.

* * *

"Zack, over here." London called, waving him over to her table.

"Hey, we need to talk." Zack said taking a seat.

"Yes we do. This dinner with my daddy is important. You have to impress him." London said.

"Ok but London..." Zack started but London interrupted.

"You like that game with the ball and the hoopy thing right?"

"Basketball?" Zack asked.

"Yeah that. Daddy loves that game. Talk about that." London said smiling and nodding her head vigorously.

"London I don't think..."

"The helicopter will be here at seven." London said kissing Zack on the cheek and leaving him sitting at the table alone.

" _What am I going to do_?" he thought to himself. " _I can't meet_ _her father._ "

"Zack?" he heard his brother's voice say.

"What?"

"Why are you just sitting here?" Cody asked. Zack didn't answer immediately. He brain was churning ideas.

" _What if we switched? No one would ever know. Cody knows basketball statics, plus he's great with parents._ " Zack thought.

"Zack?" Cody said waving his hand in front of his brother's face.

"Cody, just the brother I wanted to see." Zack said rising from his chair and wrapping his arm around his brother's shoulders.

"What do you want?" Cody asked.

"Do I have to want something from you brother? Can I just be happy to see you?" Zack said feigning disappointment.

"No." the twin answered plainly.

"Fine. I need you to switch with me tonight and go to dinner with London and her dad." Zack blurted out.

"No." Cody said turning to walk away from his brother.

"Come on Cody. Please. I would do it for you." Zack pleaded.

"No you wouldn't. You would say too bad." Cody said. "Just go to dinner. Be your usual, almost charming self and I'm sure you won't have any problems."

"Why can't you do it?" Zack asked stamping his feet in a mini tantrum.

"Because I have a date with my real life girlfriend and my pretend wife." Cody said with a smile as he walked away from his brother.

"See if I ever help you out." Zack yelled after his brother.

"I won't need it. I'm the smart one." Cody yelled back before disappearing out of sight.

" _Come on Zack._ " he thought to himself. " _How bad can it be?_ "


	3. Advice

"London can I talk to you?" Zack said as he approached her on the deck. "Follow me." As he started to walk away he realized that she wasn't following him. When he looked at her he realized that she was wearing headphones. He just grabbed her and pulled her behind him.

"Zack what are you doing?" London asked as he pulled her quickly down the hallway leading to his room.

"I need to talk to you. In private." he mumbled pushing the door open and pulling her inside.

"Eww. This is where you sleep?" London asked tiptoeing into the messy room.

"Yep. It's nice right?" Zack said taking a deep breath in appreciation.

"Not the word I'd use." London said turning her nose up.

"Anyway I need your advice." he said.

Me?" London asked shocked. No one ever needed advice from her even though she often just gave it anyway.

"Yeah. Uh, which one of these blazers should I wear to dinner?" he asked holding up two blazers, one blue, one black.

"You don't have a blazer." London said. "It's ok really."

"Well, you're going to have a pretty dress, so I wanna look right." Zack said sweetly. London smiled back and grabbed the black one.

"This one." she said helping him into it.

"Thanks." he said as he pulled it over his shoulders.

"Yeah. I need to go." London said suddenly. "I'll see you at seven." she said on the way out of the door.

"What it something I said?" Zack said aloud.

"It's always something you said." Marcus said as he came out their bathroom.

"You were in there the whole time?" Zack asked.

"It's my bathroom too roomie." Marcus joked.

"Oh yeah right." Zack said vaguely.

"You ok?" Marcus asked when he didn't receive a snarky remark from his friend.

"I'm going to need two promises from you." Zack said looking Marcus in the eye.

"Ok."

"One, you won't be mad about what I'm about to tell you and two you won't tell anyone." Zack said.

"Ok. What?"

"Promise."

"I promise Zack, Geez just tell me already." Marcus said.

"I think I love London, as more than a friend." Zack admitted.

"Oh. Wow." Marcus said as he sat on the edge of his bed.

"Yeah." Zack said sitting on the edge of his own bed.

"Well what makes you think that?"

"Just now before she left when I looked at her. It was like I saw her you know." Zack said.

"Uh no. Of course you saw her, you were looking at her." Marcus said.

"No you dummy. I mean I saw London. Like everything that this to love about her I saw in her eyes." Zack said punching Marcus in the arm.

"Ohh. Then you should go for it." Marcus said with a smile.

"Really? I mean you're not mad?"

"Nah. I like London but she and I would never work. I like books and school and she likes make up and fashion." Marcus said. "It would have never worked out.

"So she's dumb and you're not?" Zack teased.

"Yeah man but I was trying to be nice." Marcus laughed.

"I don't know if she likes me though. She ran away." Zack said.

"You won't know until you ask her." Marcus said.

"Yeah I guess." Zack said.

"I'm gonna go get some food. You coming?"

"Nah, I'll catch up with you later." Zack said as Marcus exited the room. He knew that Marcus was right, but what if London didn't like him and she just laughed at him? But he knew his friend was right. He had to find out for himself.

* * *

 

"Moseby there you are." London said as she stepped into the lobby of the ship.

"Hello London." he said never pulling his eyes away from the mail he was looking through.

"I need boy advice." London said frankly.

"Ohh." Mr. Moseby said in a low drawn out tone.

"How do you know if a boy likes you like he wants to date you or he just wants to be your friend?" London said stroking her chin.

"Well is he already your friend?" he asked.

"Yes."

"Do you like him?" Moseby asked.

"I don't know Moseby. He's cute but he smells funny sometimes but he's always been there when I need him." London answered. "But..."

"But what?"

"A few minutes ago he was so sweet to me and I could tell that he was sincere. You know." London said softly. "It was probably just that."

"You think that he was being sweet because that's what friends do?" Moseby asked. London nodded yes. "Why don't you ask him?"

"I can't. It doesn't matter. I'm older than him and probably way out of his league anyway."

"London, if you like him you should find out if he likes you too."

"I will. Thanks Moseby." London said as she skipped off to the deck.

 


	4. Yay love!

For the first time ever in Zack Martin's life he was early for something. This dinner with London and her father had really had him worried. London had went from being a long time friend to this girl that when he looked at her he saw everything beautiful in the world, but parents were a different story.

Here's how it went. Usually parents loved Cody and Zack was the one that they never wanted around their daughters. So tonight he was going to try and be on his best Cody-like behavior.

Zack waited near the helipad for London. He felt like he was continuously trying to dry his sweaty palms on the blazer that London had picked out.

"It's 6:45 Zack." he said to himself as he looked at his watch. "Calm down. Get nervous at 6:55." he took a few deep breaths and took a seat on one of the benches and waited for his date to arrive.

XXXXXX

"Don't you think you're a little over dressed to have dinner with your father?" Bailey asked when London emerged from the bathroom. She wore a silver sleeveless sequin dress that fell a few inches above mid-thigh.

"Oh Bailey, Bailey, Bailey." London said as she crossed the room to put on her strappy silver pumps. "Poor farm girl Bailey. Not all of us want to look like Dorothy on our way to see the wizard when we get ready for a date."

"I'm just saying, you're going to dinner with your dad and Zack. You could have been a little less...shiny." Bailey said rolling her eyes at London's previous comment.

"It's important to me." London muttered as she took a seat at her vanity.

"Why? You're only pretend married and it's just Zack." Bailey said looking down at her homework. She didn't see the blush that had risen in London's cheeks.

"Bailey?" London said.

"Yeah." the blonde answered vaguely.

"How did you know that you loved Cody?"

"It was just a feeling. Like, warm summer days, smiling babies or my mama's peach pie. You know, it seemed like everything that makes me happy was pouring out of him." Bailey said smiling at her. "Why?"

"No reason, but if it were me. It would be diamonds, gold bars and  _sparkles!_ " London said happily.

"Yeah sure." Bailey said.

"I gotta go." London said rising quickly from her seat. She grabbed her purse and was headed off toward the helipad.

* * *

 

When London arrived the helicopter was already there. She hurried inside and took a seat beside Zack. She didn't look at him and he didn't look at her. The entire ride they were silent. Only looking at each other when the other wasn't looking. When the helicopter finally landed, they were greeted by a tall man wearing a very nice suit.

"Hello Moseby 2." London said happily as he helped her out.

"Ms. London." the man said.

"Hey." Zack said as the man also helped him.

"Mr. Martin." the man said. He signaled to the helicopter operator to take off and then he returned to the two.

"You will be dining in the center garden tonight." he said kindly as he lead them toward the heavily perfumed area.

"So what is your actual name?" Zack asked as they walked through the beautiful maze of flowered shrubs.

"I am Mr. Hellman." he answered briefly. "Here we are." he said as they entered into the center of the garden. The area was heavily lite with candles and the smell was amazing. The round glass table was set for three. Zack took his seat as Mr. Hellman pulled out London's. "Mr. Tipton should arrive shortly." he said leaving the two alone.

"I love it here." London said looking around at all the flowers.

"Yeah it's nice. Where are we anyway?" Zack asked.

"Isle of London." she said brightly.

"What?"

"It was a present for my 16th birthday." London said. "Most girls get a car, I got an island."

"It's beautiful." Zack said. You look beautiful too." London looked at him when he said those words. She decided to be brave and find out how he felt.

"I'm sorry I dragged you into this." London said.

"Nah it's cool. Trust me, I'd rather be here than back on the ship watching Marcus and Woody have a hot dog eating contest." Zack said with a laugh.

"Yeah maybe, but you could have just said no Zack."

"I almost did. A bunch of times." he said.

"Why didn't you?" she asked.

"That's a complicated answer."

"I know a lot of people think I'm just a dumb pretty rich girl but I can use my smarticles when I want to." London said in a defensive tone.  
"That's not what I meant." Zack said. "I just meant it's hard to explain."

"Try me." she said leaning over the table toward him.

He cleared his throat before he spoke again, "Ok. Well I'm not the guy that parents like. Trust me, it's a proven fact. I literally tried to get Cody to switch places with me." at this London laughed. "What?"

"Cody wouldn't want to trick me or daddy." London said giggling.

"Tell me about it. Anyway, I talked to Mr. Moseby about it and well I just changed my mind." he said.

"Why?" she pushed.

"Why what?' he asked as if he didn't know what she was talking about.

"Why'd you change your mind?"

"Oh." he said, not making eye contact with her. "Ilikeyou." he said hurriedly.

"What?" London asked. He took a deep breath and looked her in the eye.  
"Ms. London?" Mr. Hellman said interrupting their conversation.

"Yes?"

"May I speak with you?"

"Sure. I'll be right back." London said with a smile. She rose from her chair and walked a few feet away from the table with Mr. Hellman. Zack couldn't hear them but he could tell that London didn't like what he was saying. Mr. Hellman handed London a small piece of paper. He watched as she read it and her happy expression fell and it was replaced with a fake happiness that she often put on to hide her disappointment.

"Is everything alright?" Zack asked when she returned to the table.

"Yeah." London said taking her seat.

"I am sorry Ms. London." Mr. Hellman said quietly as he removed the third place setting.

"Don't be." London said giving him a weak smile. "Thanks, Hellman." The man smiled briefly and hurried away dishes in hand.

"What happened?" Zack asked.

"Daddy had an important business dinner." London said twisting the piece of paper in her hands. "He said he'd make it up to me though." she said looking at Zack, her eyes thick with tears. "I'll catch you next time kiddo."

"Huh?" Zack said. She slid the crumpled note across the table. He picked it up and read it.

**'I'm sorry I can't make it. Herb Barthow is talking merger. Tipton-Barthow could mean ever more sparkles. I'll make it up to you. I'll catch you next time kiddo. Love Daddy.'**

"I'm sorry." Zack said reaching out and pulling her chair closer toward him. Once she was right beside him he put his arm around her.

"I don't care about the money." London whispered. "I just want him to care enough to put me before business. Just once." she leaned against Zack's chest and he felt her tears dampen his dress shirt.

"He does care London." Zack said resting his chin on the top of her head. "He just doesn't realize how great a girl you are. If I were him I would never disappoint you."

"That's sweet Zack." she said snuggling closer to him.

"I mean it. I'm not your father but I don't want to disappoint you." He sat her up to look at him. "You are a beautiful person and if your father wants to spend his night with some rich old man then it's his loss. He doesn't deserve your tears London." Zack said. She looked him in the eye and smiled. He leaned in and kissed her gently.

"What was that for?" London asked when he backed away.

"I like you London." he said confidently now. "I changed my mind about coming here tonight because I like you. Actually, I love you."

"I love you too Zack." London said with a sweet smile. "I'm glad you were here tonight. I don't know how I would have dealt with all of this if I were alone."

"Or with Cody." Zack teased.

"Or with Cody." she laughed. Zack leaned in and kissed her again.

"What are we going to tell people back on the ship?" Zack asked.

"That we got an A on this assignment." London said.

"No one's going to believe that." Zack laughed.

"I know right!" London laughed. "We don't have to tell them anything. They all think you're a liar and I'm dumb so we can just keep this between us."

"No." Zack said. "I want people to know that I'm dating London Tipton."

"We're dating?" London asked.

"Do you want to be dating me?" he asked. She answered him with a kiss. "When we get back you tell Bailey and I'll tell the boys."

"Zack and London." she said happily, wrapping her arms about him tightly.

"Zack and London." he said returning her tight embrace. "You know I hate to admit this but Cody was right."

"About what?"

"Love. It is amazing." he said with a chuckle.

"Yay love!" London said as she clapped her hands.

 


End file.
